Spicy Bits: Dec. 5, 2008

• The story of two friends and one acre of corn, the film
King
Corn tells how America’s food supply is driven
by the heavily subsidized crop. Not shown in movie theaters, this
indie documentary is being screened at 11 a.m. at the Missouri
History Museum on Sunday, Dec. 7. Learning about genetically
modified foods and powerful herbicides via the quasi-comedy will be
a great lead into the Green Living Expo,
also at the museum from noon to 5 p.m. More than 20 vendors of
locally produced, organic and/or environmentally conscious products
or services will participate. Half a dozen will have edible
samples, including Isabee’s Honey and Mound City Nuts.

• JOHN RACANELLI’s favorite pizza on the menu
of his just-opened restaurant, Racanelli’s
Cucina, is called Eat Your Spinach. One of the wine
flights of all-Coppola reds is called An Offer You Can’t Refuse.
This fun, new pizzeria and bar fills the fully renovated Market in
the Loop, seating 80 in the dining room, 40 at the bar and another
60 on the patio. Cucina chef KEVIN STHAIR is
preparing everything from scratch: the sauce, the meatballs, the
tapenade, etc. The menu lists 15 specialty pizzas, all 12 inches
wide and baked on a stone deck, none with provel. John’s favorite
has bacon and olive oil to go with the spinach and three cheeses on
top: Romano, Parmesan and mozzarella. It’s open seven days a week
for real New York-style pizza and family- style Italian food. You
can tell John and his family grew up in da Bronx.

• Restaurateur MUNSOK SO is aiming for the
third week in December to unveil his new fusion tapas/vodka bar.
With three Drunken Fish sushi restaurant/lounges spread across St.
Louis, Munsok has chosen Westport Plaza for his newest venture:
IceKitchen. The
5,500-square-foot space has a cool interior and a two-tiered patio.
Signature martini flights and fine cocktails will stay cool on the
unique ice bar. The small-plates menu, designed for sharing, blends
American, Asian, Mediterranean and Latin flavors. IceKitchen will
be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with live music on
the weekends.

• Bissinger’s, A
Chocolate Experience in the Central West End has
launched Christmas in a Flute…a champagne flute. Three cocktails
and two desserts featuring PAMA pomegranate liqueur have been added
to the menu. The New Year will bring even more chocolate cheer to
the CWE when construction crews expand the chocolateria next door,
and neighbor AG Jeans moves a few doors east into bigger digs.

• Everyone knows that the Jewel Box in Forest
Park has the best poinsettia show in St. Louis
during the holiday season. What you don’t know is that a wonderful
buffet brunch will be set up there from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every
Sunday in December. The extensive menu includes Belgian waffles,
made-to-order omelets, carved prime rib, etc…yum, yum! Call
367-1337, ext. 226, to make a reservation. The buffet costs $25 per
adult. $15 per child age 6 to 12. It sounds perfect for an outing
with grandkids.